He stole his best friend’s girl… and then won a playoff game with him in the building.
Well — sort of.
Because this NFL-meets-country-music love story is way more hilarious than scandalous.
Did Ben Johnson “Steal” Chase Rice’s Girlfriend? The Wild Middle School Story That Came Full Circle
If you think NFL storylines only live on the field, think again.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and country music star Chase Rice share a bond that goes back decades — and technically, a girl.
Yes, really.
The internet recently rediscovered one of the funniest backstories in sports: Johnson “stole” Rice’s girlfriend. Except not exactly. And definitely not in the way you think.
Let’s rewind.
Both Johnson and Rice attended A.C. Reynolds High School in North Carolina — a school that has somehow produced Luke Combs, Caleb Pressley, Rico Dowdle, and multiple NFL names. But long before fame, the two were just middle school teammates.
They met when Rice moved to Fairview, North Carolina as a kid. They played football together in middle school, won a state championship in high school — Johnson at quarterback, Rice at linebacker — and later became roommates at the University of North Carolina.
Best friends. Practically brothers.
Which makes what happened next even funnier.
Before Ben Johnson married his wife Jessica in 2014 — before the NFL, before the fame, before three kids — she went to an eighth-grade dance with Chase Rice.
That’s it.
Rice invited her. She said yes. They slow-danced.
And that single middle school date has turned into one of the most legendary running jokes in NFL circles.
Rice first brought it up publicly during the Lions’ playoff run in 2024 (when Johnson was Detroit’s offensive coordinator), joking that he was “still mad” Johnson “stole” his middle school dance date and married her.
Jessica — who went by Jessica Putnam at the time — didn’t technically qualify as Rice’s “girlfriend.” But they were each other’s dates for that dance.
Then high school happened.
And Johnson made his move.
He asked her out “for real,” and this time she said yes — again. The relationship stuck. They became high school sweethearts, got married in 2014, and now have three children.
Meanwhile, Rice went on to become a country music star.
Fast forward to 2026.
Johnson is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears, leading them into the NFL playoffs. And who’s performing halftime at their postseason game against the Rams?
Chase Rice.
The irony writes itself.
Even better? Rice is openly one of Johnson’s biggest supporters. He admitted he keeps the Bears’ schedule in his calendar and has literally parked his truck on the side of the road in Montana, set up Starlink, and streamed Chicago games just to watch his best friend coach.
“That’s never happened for an NFL team,” Rice said.
When asked about the “stolen girlfriend” story recently, Rice laughed it off, saying Jessica made the right choice — because Johnson is “a better person” and, jokingly, “makes more money.”
No bitterness. No drama. Just lifelong friendship.
So did Ben Johnson steal Chase Rice’s girlfriend?
Technically? Sure.
Realistically? It was an eighth-grade dance.
But the fact that one of the NFL’s hottest young coaches married his best friend’s middle school date — and now that same best friend is performing at his playoff game — might be the most wholesome crossover episode in sports and music.
Sometimes the world doesn’t spin.
It slow-dances.
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